Pipe jack



June 6, 1939'.

P. BREZ A PIPE JACK Filed Feb. 28, 1938 T s Sheets-Sheet 1 A iiorneysJune 6, 1939. BREZA 2,161,013

PIPE JACK Filed Feb. 28, 1958 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2" Inventor i aa/ LE/"eza A iior neys June 6, 1939.

P. BREZA PIPE JACK Filed Feb. 28, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A itrheys rrib,8 of the l atented June 6 193 U N ITED PATENT oFFrcs PIPE. JACK PaulBreza, Chesapeake City, Md.

Application February 28, 1938, Serial No. 193,202 12 Claims. (0].25;4-29) The present invention relates to pipe jacks designed primarilyfor use upon dredging pipes of relatively large diameter which areusually connected together in telescoping arrangement, the principalobject of the invention residing in the provision of a portable fluidpressure operated jack unit adapted to engage thepipes to separate thesame.

A further important object is .toprovidea jack unit embodying a pair oflongitudinally alined cylinders and a confined fluid for operatingpistons in the cylinders and to which the jaws of the jack are securedand a pair of manually ,op- .erated pumps provided with a singleoperating lever to force the fluid under pressure to the cylinders,together with valve means controlling the fluid.

Another object is to provide a support for mounting a pair-of the jacksat QDpOsitesides of the pipe.

A still further object is to provide an .apparatus of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is strong anddurable,.efficient in performance, andotherwise well adapted for thepurposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a topplan .view with-partsbroken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view through the pipe showing thepair .of jack unitsin end elevation.

Figure 3 is a front elevational View of the casting .for the pumps andfluid ducts.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view thereof with parts shown in section.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional View through one of the jackcylinders, and

Figure dis a sectional view through oneofthe pumps.

Referring now to the drawings indetail, the numerals 5 and 6 designate apair of ,telescopically connected pipes, eachof the .pipes havingannular ribs 1 and 8 respectively adjacentitheir ends,.the end of thefemale ,pipe 5 abutting the male pipe 6 to limit inwardmovementor thelatter.

The pipe .jack comprises .apair of longitudinally alined cylinders Brand10 connected atgtheir inner ends by a lateral casting H, the cylindersbeing of identical construction andaccordingly adetailed description ofone-will suffice for both. Each cylinder is provided with a piston I2having a working fit therein and to theend of the piston is secured aleather washer l;3. A stem M extends from the piston outwardly through a.plug 15 threaded in the outer end of the cylinlder, .a shoulder Itbeing formed .on the stem abutting the inner face of the end wall .11 ofa sleeve l8 slidably mounted on the cylinder. The stemextends throughanopening in the end wall 1 J1 and ;,is anchored to .the sleeve by a nut19 Lthreaded ontheouter end of the stem.

A jaw 20 projects laterally from one .sideof the sleeve at its inner endand an internal lug 2! is formed in the sleeve sliding in a longitudinalgroove122in the outer surface of the cylinder to prevent rotation of thesleeve on the cylinder. As shown in Figure 1 the jaws 28-20 of therespective cylinders are adapted to be placed betweenthe ribs] and-8 ina mannerto spread the ribs apart whereby toseparate the pipes.

A reservoir-23 is provided with a pipe .21! .inrits bottom whichsupports the reservoir .in an upright position above the'casting a, thelower. end

.of the pipe. communicating with a pair of vertical -ducts; 25-.2,5 inthe casting,the lower endsof the ductsdivering toward the ioppositesidesof the casting and terminating in angularly extending .ducts 26 leadingtoward the frontof the casting (see Figures 3 and 4). cate,withthebottom of a pair of vertical pump cylinders 2'I- 2;'|havingpistons working therein, ,each of said pistonscomprising a sleeve.28 havingaworking-fit in the cylinder and a pump rod 129 havi W k n androd being coextensive and the sleeve being :free-irom the rod. Both thesleeve .androd of .each piston extend outwardly from the top of .thecast-mg through apacking nut 38 the top of ieachrrodhaving a head 3|from the under side L of W iCh-,-depends a projection 32 having aninturned flange 33.

'The upperend of thesleeve is provided with a alug Manda manipulatinghandle .35 by means pf .whichthesleeve may be rotated to-rnove the luginto and out. of positionoverlying the flange 533-120 secure the -sleeveto therod forreciprocation asaunit. Aplatetfi is secured to theplug 1.!by a nut .;3-.'|,-,the p1ate being spaced abovethe castingandalso abovethe packing nut and under .which the lug 3.4 is adaptedto be moved*whenthe sleeveisedetached from-therodto lock thesleeveagainstmovement.As will beapparent. trom -aninspection of Figure 3 the opposite ends ofthe; plate .36 serve as a lockingmeans The ducts ,26 communiu fit-in thesleeve, the sleeve for the sleeves of the respective pumps. Accordinglythe sleeve, when secured to the rod, provides a pump piston of increaseddiameter to produce an increased pressure during operation of thepiston.

A pin 32' projects forwardly of each of the heads 32 on which is pivotedthe upper end of links 3B38, the lower ends of said links being pivotedto pins 339 on a connecting member 49, said member being pivoted at itscentral portion on a hollow plug 4! threaded in the front of thecasting. An operating handle 42 extends upwardly from the member 4%],the center line of the handle passing through the axis of the plug Mfrom which it will be apparent that the oscillating movement of thehandle from side to side will cause an opposite operation of the pumppiston.

Ball check valves 43 are yieldably maintained in closed position in theintake ducts 26 by springs 44 and discharge ducts 45-45 lead from eachof the cylinders 21 to a common chamber 46 in which a coil spring 4'! isarranged for yieldably maintaining a pair of ball check valves 48- 48 inclosed position in the respective discharge ducts. From the chamber 45 aduct 49 extends rearwardly of the casting to a pair of lateral ducts5il50 communicating with the respective jack cylinders 9. A two-wayrotary control valve 5| is mounted at the junction of the ducts 49 and50 to selectively control communication to either or both of the jackcylinders, or to cut off both cylinders, said valve being operatedthrough the bottom of the casting by a handle 52.

A fluid return passage 53 for the jack cylinders extends upwardly fromthe chamber 46 in which a needle valve 54 is arranged extendingoutwardly through the plug 4! and provided at its outer end with ahandle 42.

To the outer end of each of the sleeves I8 is attached one end of a coilspring 55 the opposite end of the spring being connected to a plate 56secured to the casting, the spring serving to yieldably urge the sleevesinwardly.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a pair of the jack units are employedfor separating the pipes 5 and 6 in order to prevent binding of thepipes during separation, and for the purpose of supporting the pair ofjacks at opposite sides of the pipe an arm 51 is secured at one end toeach jack unit as at 58, the arms extending transversely above andresting on the pipe in crossed relation and pivotally connected to eachother intermediate their ends at 59. The free ends of the arms areprovided with longitudinally spaced openings 50 in which stems 5| ofbrackets 52 are adjustably secured, the brackets being in the form ofeyes through one of which one end of a bolt 63 is threaded, the otherbracket being open at one site as at 6 5, in which the opposite end ofthe bolt is seated, a coil spring 65 being interposed between the head56 of the bolt and the adjacent bracket to yieldably urge the handleends of the arms toward each other and thus secure the arms and jackunits in a predetermined fixed relative position on the pipe.

The numerals 5'5, 58, B8 and 10 and H designate plugs threaded in theopenings in the casting provided for drilling the several ducts, theinner end of the plug 51 being hollow and provided with a valve seat 12for the valve 48.

In the operation of the device, the jack units are mounted upon the pipein straddled position as shown, the valve 54 being closed and the valve51 being opened to either or both of the jack cylinders as desired. Thepump handles 42 of the respective jacks are then manipulated causing thepumps 28 upon their upstroke, to open the check valves 43 drawing thefluid from the reservoirs into the cylinders 27 and upon theirdownstroke closing the valves 43 and opening the valves 48 to force thefluid into the chamber 46 and through the ducts 49, into the jackcylinders to cause an expansion of the sleeves i8, thus spreading thejaws 2B and resulting in the breaking loose and separation of the pipes5 and 6. The valve 54 is then opened and the springs 55 will move thesleeves l8 inwardly forcing the fluid back through the duct 49, chamber46 and duct 53, into the reservoir.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of operation ofthe device will be readily understood from the foregoing without furtherdetailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I l claim isl. A pipe jackcomprising a pair of jaws arranged for opposite movement and adapted toengage a pair of pipe sections, fluid pressure means for expanding thejaws, spring means for contracting the jaws and valves selectivelycontrolling the fluid pressure during the expanding and contractingmovement of the jaws.

2. A pipe jack comprising a pair of jaws arranged for opposite movementand adapted to engage a pair of pipe sections, a jack cylinder for eachof the jaws, pistons working in the cylinders said jaws projectinglaterally at one side of the respective cylinders and rigidly connectedto the pistons, a confined fluid, means for forcing the fluid into thecylinders to expand the jaws, spring means for contracting the jaws andvalve means controlling the fluid during the expanding and contractingmovement of the jaws.

3. A portable pipe jack comprising a pair of jaws arranged for oppositemovement and adapted to engage a pair of pipe sections, a jack cylinderfor each of the jaws, pistons working in the cylinders said jawsprojecting laterally at one side of the respective cylinders and rigidlyconnected to the pistons, a confined fluid, a pump for forcing the fluidinto the cylinders to expand the jaws, check valves maintaining thepressure in the cylinders, a valve adapted to release the pressure andspring means for contracting the jaws upon the opening of said lastnamed valve.

4. A portable pipe jack comprising a casting, a pair of longitudinallyalined cylinders, pressure responsive pistons working therein, jawsfixed to the pistons for expanding movement and projecting laterallyfrom the cylinders, a confined fluid, a reservoir, ducts in the castingleading from the reservoir to the cylinders, a pump carried by thecasting for forcing fluid from the reservoir to the cylinders, checkvalves in the ducts for maintaining pressure in the cylinders, a releasevalve controlling return of fluid from the cylinders to the reservoirand spring means for contracting the jaws.

5. A portable pipe jack comprising a casting, a pair of longitudinallyalined cylinders, pistons working therein, jaws fixed to the pistons forexpanding movement and projecting laterally from the cylinders, aconfined fluid, a reservoir, ducts in the casting leading from thereservoir to the cylinders, a manually operable pump mounted in thecasting for forcing fluid from the reservoir to the cylinders, checkvalves in the ducts for maintaining pressure in the cylinders, a releasevalve controlling return of fluid from the cylinder to the reservoir andspring means for contracting the jaws.

6. A pipe jack comprising a casting, a pair of longitudinally alinedcylinders having pistons working therein, a fluid intake port leadingfrom the casting to the inner ends of the cylinders, sleeves slidable onthe cylinders, jaws on the inner ends of the sleeves, means rigidlyconnecting the outer ends of the sleeves to the pistons, a reservoir,ducts in the casting connecting the reservoir with the intake port and amanually operable pump for forcing fluid from the reservoir to saidcylinders.

7. A pipe jack comprising a casting, a pair of longitudinally alinedcylinders having pistons working therein, a fluid intake port leadingfrom the casting to the inner ends of the cylinders, sleeves slidable onthe cylinders, jaws on the inner ends of the sleeves, means rigidlyconnecting the outer ends of the sleeves to the pistons, a reservoir,ducts in the casting connecting the reservoir with the intake port, apair of pumps for forcing fluid from the reservoir to said cylinders, anoperating lever for the pumps and means operatively connecting the leverto the pumps for opposite actuation.

8. A portablepipe jack comprising a plurality of jack units embodyingpipe engaging and separating members and arms carried by the units and.connected in crossed relation above the pipe for supporting the units atopposite sides of the pipe.

9. A portable pipe jack comprising a plurality of jack units embodyingpipe engaging and separating members and arms carried by the units andconnected in crossed relation above the pipe for supporting the units atopposite sides of the pipe, and means for adjusting the crossed ends ofthe arms relative to each other.

10. A portable pipe jack comprising a plurality of jack units embodyingpipe engaging and separating members, arms carried by the units andextending in crossed relation above and resting on the pipe, meanspivotally connecting the crossed ends of the arms and means yieldablyurging the members into pipe engaging position at opposite sides of thepipe.

11. A pipe jack comprising a pump casing having a pump mounted therein,a pair of cylinders projecting from opposite sides of the casing,pistons working in the cylinders and having pipe engaging membersrigidly connected thereto, a duct leading from the pump to the innerends of the cylinders and valve means in said duct.

12. A pipe jack comprising a pump casing having a pump mounted therein,a pair of cylinders projecting fromopposite sides of the casing, pistonsworking in the cylinders and having pipe engaging members rigidlyconnected thereto, a reservoir for a confined fluid connected to thepump, ducts in the casing leading from the pump to the inner ends of thecylinders and from the cylinders to the reservoir and valve meansselectively controlling communication through said ducts.

' PAUL BREZA.

